The Holy Cross football team opens training camp Thursday, and the Crusaders will usher in a new era under first-year HC coach Dan Curran. Holy Cross hired Curran , who spent the last 11 seasons as the coach at Merrimack, to succeed Bob Chesney in December.
In six seasons at Holy Cross, Chesney guided the Crusaders to five straight Patriot League titles (shared with Lafayette in 2023), four consecutive Football Championship Subdivision appearances, and, from 2021-23, when HC went 29-8, the program’s most successful three-year stretch since 1989-91. Chesney departed Holy Cross for James Madison.
In the Patriot League preseason poll released last week, Holy Cross was No. 2 behind Lafayette.
As the Crusaders’ camp gets underway and they look forward to their 2024 opener at the University of Rhode Island on Aug. 31, here are some storylines to watch.
Will the Crusaders make it six Patriot League titles in a row and build on the national stature they attained over the last five years?
Holy Cross lost more than 30 seniors/fifth-year seniors from last year’s co-Patriot League champion team to graduation or the transfer portal, and, among many of them, extensive experience and leadership. Still, the Crusaders return talent and veteran presence at several positions, and they are intent on keeping a great thing going.
“The shift in youth on the roster is real,” Curran said, “but I think the leadership on top is as good as I’ve seen it. The older kids have done a great job bridging the gap.
“This is a motivated group,” Curran said, “and I know they’re ready to compete this year.”
With a new starting quarterback and new style, what can we expect from the Holy Cross offense in 2024?
The HC offense, which showcased dual-threat quarterback Matthew Sluka’s running ability the last four seasons, will be multiple in 2024, and senior Joe Pesansky, who demonstrated poise and accuracy in his two starts last year, will move into the QB1 role. Over wins against Fordham and Lehigh, Pesansky was 31 of 52 for 495 yards, 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
“I haven’t been around a player who has had the locker room behind him like we have here with Joe,” Curran said. “He has the utmost respect of everyone in that locker room, and he’s earned the respect of everyone on the staff. He’s put a lot of work in to position himself to be in this spot. We’re excited for him to get the opportunity to lead this program moving forward for the season.”
Seniors Justin Shorter and Byron Shipman should be among Pesansky’s top targets, and senior running back Jordan Fuller, who scored a program-record 18 rushing touchdowns last season, will lead the ground game.
How will the offensive line, which was one of the best in the nation in 2023, come together with only one returning starter?
The quintet of Luke Newman, Eric Schon, Christo Kelly, C.J. Hanson and Pat McMurtrie started every game together last season and helped HC rank in the top 10 nationally in rushing offense, total offense and scoring offense.
Newman, Schon and McMurtrie moved on for graduate opportunities at FBS programs, and Hanson was a seventh-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving Kelly, the center, as the only returning starter.
Declan McCauley and Dalton Daddona, fifth-years like Kelly, filled valuable backup roles on the OL the last couple of seasons while HC rotated players. Kelly is confident the new group will come together quickly.
“We all learn from each other,” Kelly said, “and there’s so much cohesion on and off the field that as soon as we take the field Week 1, we’re going to be rolling.”
Who will be the leader of the defense, which graduated all-everything linebacker Jacob Dobbs?
Even through injury, the All-American Dobbs was the heart and soul of HC’s defense the last five seasons. Dobbs is finishing his playing eligibility at JMU with Chesney, and that means new leadership opportunities on that side of the ball.
Senior safeties Curtis Harris-Lopez and Jake Jarmolowich, who missed most of last year due to injury, and senior linebacker Frankie Monte, who was one of only three defensive players to start every game in 2023, have so far taken on that task, setting the tone in the weight room and at practice.
“You want to be strong down the middle,” Curran said, “and those three guys have done a great job. I’m excited for them and their enhanced role in the program, and I expect big things from them this fall.”
Due to injuries, freshmen, especially on defensive side of the ball, had plentiful opportunities last season. How will they build on that experience?
Four returning players made starts on defense last year as freshman, including lineman Brice Stevenson, who earned a spot coming out of camp. Will Robinson played in all 11 games as a reserve defensive lineman and earned FCS Football Central Freshman All-America honors. As HC battled injury on that side of the ball, other first-years got valuable game reps. In the Yale game, seven freshmen were on the field at the same time.
“The best way to develop is getting live reps,” Curran said, “so those things were invaluable for them going into the offseason with some experience under their belt and building that confidence throughout the offseason in the weight room, in spring ball and in our summer program.”
In addition to Robinson and Stevenson, their classmate Jovan George, a defensive tackle, stood out in spring practice.
“Those are guys who have positioned themselves to have good years this year,” Curran said.
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross football begins a new era: 5 questions as the Crusaders start training camp
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